No Need to Wonder
by Cytrus
Summary: Deb's Flo related problems & more in the typical Cytrus in depth fashion. Hope you enjoy!


No need to wonder

- I assure you that he hasn't cleaned that tool for a week Bloat!!! Just imagine all the dangerous germs waiting for an occasion to…

- Give the poor germs a rest Gurgle! He's not a dentist for nothing! He will clean the tool before he uses it again. 

- And what if it'll already be too late? What if the germs mutate, become more powerful and come after us? 

- Jeez, Gurgle! They should really consider going after you, at least you would shut up for a little while!

- Shut up BOTH of you guys! Someone's trying to watch an operation here! Eh, MEN!

With Bloat and Gurgle arguing as always and Peach unsuccessfully trying to amuse herself with the happenings outside of the tank, everything seemed normal with the so called "tank gang". And, more or less, everything was normal. Gill was creating new, even more impossible plans to get out of the tank, Jacques was off somewhere, probably polishing something, Bubbles was waiting for more bubbles to appear and Deb… well she wasn't exactly in a "normal" mood. She had been bought by the dentist quite recently and a sully mood caused by a water change wasn't anything surprising so nobody was worried about her weird behaviour, but little did they know that no trivial water change even affected Deb, the cause of her problems was pretty different. She was facing one of the hardest trials in any creature's lives – loss of faith – a state, when you do not know if what you believe in is true. 

You do not know if your life is true.

*****

Deb was swimming back and forth lazily. Her course  neared the walls and returned to the center of the tank. Though few would notice it, she was more anxious with every circle she made. All the time she had spent in the breeding center, there had been noises and things that scared her, but it was nothing compared to what she was going through in the dentist's office. While her fear in the breeding center had been caused existing and natural noises and sights, her fear within the new tank was caused by the thing she wasn't supposed to see or hear.

Mainly, her sister. 

*****

It's pretty hard to describe the chaos of a breeding center. When the hundreds of new born fish are separated there is really no way to say where, or sometimes even who, you are. Amongst it all, there is only one rule that you have to follow: have something to hold onto. Deb found her sister and held onto her for dear life. They got separated though, and Deb could only try to remember how her sister looked like. Even weeks later, Deb was still looking for a blue fish with silver stripes, but as there were less and less occupants of the tank, her hope began to wane. Soon, she was the only one left in her tank. She was sure that her sister was not with her.

Almost sure.

It was just then that she noticed IT. IT was only some shiny metallic thing on the bottom of the tank, but it sparked her curiosity. Tiny beams of light bounced of it in all directions and the closer she swam to it, the more colorful it seemed. When she was almost touching it, she made an extraordinary discovery. Her sister, the only thing in the world she knew and was sure about, was right before her very own eyes.

- Um… hi sis?

Her voice was silent and weak. Her sister didn't seem to react, but after only a few seconds, she could hear her answer, her words seemingly coming from every direction, blurry, but clear enough for Deb. She needed nothing else, she was overjoyed.

- I've finally found you sis!

*****

Deb wasn't half as ecstatic now though. Flo was swimming right beside her, as she always did near the dentist's tank walls, but Deb just couldn't gather enough courage to look into her sister's sad eyes. Deb was sad too, but what reason did she have? Just her own weakness and uncertainty. Flo, on the other hand, had every reason to be depressed. Her sister doubted her… doubted her existence! There were, of course, reasons for this. Deb always suspected that Flo was weird in one way or another, that's why she liked to introduce her as a psycho to others. Most of Flo's weirdness was her passiveness, she never moved from one spot in the breeding center, nor was she ever the one to start a discussion. Flo was very shy overall, her answers were always very muffled and Deb had a hard time trying to interpret the words in the correct way. Usually, Deb wouldn't give these features a second thought, but now new reasons for contemplating even the weirdest possibilities appeared. The tank gang were the only fishes she ever really talked with other than her sister and none of them seemed to see Flo! Of course nobody ever said that there was anything with Flo, but it was pretty obvious that not everything was OK. Their bizarre and evading answers didn't help her any, they just made her even more frustrated. If anything happened to Flo… she just wanted to know, she DESERVED to know! Really, it went too far. She was ready to face the facts NOW, but not later. She was on her breaking point, she just couldn't take it all anymore. Almost bursting into tears, she swam faster and faster in circles, hidden from view by the Wannahockaloogie mountain when she heard a voice calling out to her.

- Deb. Are you okay?

The voice belonged to Bubbles, a Yellow Tang. From the whole tank gang he was the first one to befriend with Deb, though she wasn't sure if it was such a compliment, considering the fact that he was a bubbles - obsessed maniac. It wasn't that bad though, his weirdness even made him seem cuter. Deb was thankful that it was him asking the question, she wasn't sure if she could open up to the others without getting a serious headache because of unsuccessful explaining. Bubbles could understand her better than the others.

Or so she thought.

- You know… um… it's about Flo.

Bubbles snapped to attention, his serious look in place of the rolling eyes Deb expected. He seemed to listen intently whenever Flo was mentioned for some reason, that day was no exception. It took him only a few seconds to notice her slightly teary eyes too, so his expression soon softened.

- Relax Deb. I'm all ears. Tell me what's the matter.

He swam up to her and patted her gently on the back. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, and she did, a little.

- Well.. it's not really anything important… it's just… well Gill and some of the others…they…

Bubbles took a mental note that Gill wanted his other fin hurt very badly. He would spare "some of the others" until they were specified though.

- They what Deb?

- They just act as if Flo didn't exist, or had no feelings! Yesterday, I asked Bloat if we could help him since he got all puffed up again, and he just asked me if there was anyone besides me, because he didn't see anyone. And it's only an example! Most of the time, they seem to catch up later and apologize for not noticing Flo, but… it all seems so false and fake that I don't know what to think about it!

- But Deb, does their behavior or opinion matter? If they cannot accept Flo, it's their business. You shouldn't care about it, they lose, you don't!.

- But it's not only their opinions Bubbles! There were always… mysteries… surrounding Flo, I didn't knew what caused them, but I rarely gave them a second thought, but now… is it really possible that Flo doesn't exist? It cannot be! Still… still… what other explanation is there? I just don't know! It's killing me inside!

Bubbles turned away and remained silent for awhile. Then he spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. 

- Do you love Flo? Who is she to you?

- She's my only known sis! My truest and dearest friend. I can talk to her about anything, she always agrees with me and supports me! Of course I love her! What would I do without her!

Bubbles turned his head and stared into her eyes completely concentrated.

- Do you know what bubbles are?

Any other day, she would have erupted with laughter at his question. Any other day, she would have joked that they were the only thing capable of making him move an inch. But it was not any other day, and his serious tone demanded a straight answer.

- They are… bubbles… bubbles of air.

- Indeed, you are right  Now look at the bubbles here, they are just little spherical objects, but even a stone may called a spherical object, do you know what's the difference between a bubble and a stone? A stone may be touched and it's in no hurry, it lies on the bottom for ages unless it is moved. A bubble is different, its life ends mere seconds after it is created, but it often disappears even before the few seconds pass. They are more fragile than a mirage, touch them and they pop, breath at them and they pop. Isn't something more fragile than a mirage, something so close to not existing at all, but a nonexistent mirage itself? What are bubbles, and do they really exist? I wish I knew the answer, but I do not.

Bubbles turned around again and was now facing Deb completely. 

- I do not know, but I will tell you one thing, the only thing I am sure of. Bubbles have the power to make me happy and I have no need to wonder or ask questions, because I know that no happiness may come from something nonexistent. Deb, you said that Flo brings a smile to your face, you said that she is able to brighten up even the darkest of your days, and I believe you. Tell me Deb, if Flo may do so much, if she may give you so much happiness… how more real can she be? The time to choose has come Deb, Flo exists and is as real as one can get, and if you wish, she will be as true and real until the end of time. Do you want it?

No answer was destined to come, but after a few minutes of silence Deb hugged Bubbles and started crying.

Her first true tears of joy.

***** 

Bubbles carefully placed the sleeping Deb on the soft sand. She had fallen asleep in his arms. No wonder she was exhausted though, after all she had won a very hard battle. He was grateful he had helped her and he knew that with such powerful an ally as Flo by her side, she would never have to worry about loosing again. He gently kissed the blue Damselfish on the forehead and slowly swam away. 

- Good dreams Deb… and you too Flo.           


End file.
